The Collegian

Issue date: 11/12/09 Section: Down the Hill

Media Credit: Michael Mayday

Last September, three downtown Hillsdale business owners bought the Roxy Theater for $80,000 hoping to restore the decaying building as the Dawn Theater and give it back to the community. Development, however, has hit a speed bump: not enough money for repair.

Dr. Jeffery Horton, a co-owner of the Dawn theater with Julie Games, owner of Games Reality Team; and David Kamen, owner of David's Dolice Vita tobacconist and wine gallery, said some compainies, like G&G glass, contributed to the Theatre's repair, but much remains to be done.

"The roof needs to needs to be repaired, the celling has tiles that are coming off and the bathrooms need to be re-engineered," Horton said.

Julie Games said the Dawn Theater has the potential to bring entertainment to students and locals alike in downtown Hillsdale. However, maintaining their own businesses and keeping other projects running, such as the Keefer House restoration, has hindered the redevelopment of the Dawn Theater.

Currently, the theater's non-profit status is recognized by the State of Michigan, but not by the federal government. Once it is, Games said the theater will eventually be completed with a board and director to manage the restoration and maintenance of the Dawn Theater.

Stephen Casai, who worked at the Dawn Theater from 1981 to 1996, said he was honored to be asked to join the board last spring, but is waiting for more details about the board members' commitments.

Games said, however, that there can be no board or director until the theater receives its non-profit status from the federal government. It's difficult to get people to donate, particularly when a tax-break for potential donors isn't in the picture; the donations that are received are negligible at best, she said.

"With the swing dance club I'd sometimes get donations of $5 to $15, but that's not even enough to pay the electrical bill," Games said.

While there aren't yet regular business hours for the Dawn Theater, Games said she hopes to expand on the weekly swing dances every Friday night and include other events and more hours for locals and college students. Horton hopes to see the theater restored to play movies and to throw back to the theater's first days as a vaudeville venue with an organ.

"I know there's not a lot for the students to do downtown and I'd love to resurrect a dance night if students are interested," Games said. "I just need some help and direction from up the hill."

Horton said if they get the screen up and running again, they'd need to get a new digital projector, replacing the dated film projected still in the theater. But Games said more basic things are needed first: paying for heating, lighting and getting new emergency exit doors. It's a long list, but those involved are optimistic.

"If we knock them down one at a time, over time we'll bring it back into good order," Horton said.

"Well, I think if you consider the kind of alternatives there are for you folks to take a young woman out on a date, what are your alternatives?" Horton asked.

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